28 Apr 2022 – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Singapore are exploring the possibility of hosting a festival of virtual sports and gaming in early 2023. It will build on the success of the inaugural Olympic Virtual Series (OVS) in 2021 and would reinforce Singapore as one of the leaders in the field.

Encouraging the development of virtual sports and engaging with gaming communities is a key focus of Olympic Agenda 2020+5. A central pillar is the Olympic Virtual Series, the global competition launched in 2021. This inaugural series attracted 250,000 participants, representing over 100 countries around the world.

Following this success, the IOC is continuing to develop the OVS with the ambition of establishing an annual competition. The proposal was approved by the IOC Executive Board in December 2021, and the next OVS is planned to start in late 2022, with the finals taking place in early 2023.

This edition will build on the promotion of virtual sport, in reaching new communities with a unique experience, in close collaboration with the International Sports Federations and game publishers, fostering innovation and the Olympic values throughout the Olympic Movement. As part of this, the IOC and the Singapore NOC are in early discussions to host the OVS finals as part of a festival of virtual sports and gaming in early 2023.

The ambition will be to bring gaming communities and the Olympic Movement together in a celebration of virtual sports across exhibitions, education sessions and the inaugural in-person Olympic Virtual Series finals.